Disciples Home Missions
Connecting People to the Life-Changing Love of God
If you need an Ash Wednesday or Palm Sunday Litany, we have one for you. If you need a Love Log for all ages, there’s one inside to help us follow Jesus. Take time to pray and reflect with this year’s concise resource.
2025 Laity Readiness Resource
This season in our churches, homes, and schools feels heavy, but our collective capacity to strengthen one another and our communities is great. We are an extension of our magnificent Creator–one who emboldens, loves, and heals us toward a world that is unlike empire. The Realm of God moves by the Spirit in all living things, cultivating justice and harmony one precious load of anointing at a time.
It is imperative we lift up and carry the power of the Holy Spirit in refreshing ways. Our legions of lay leaders fortify the church for every season, especially those seasons that dare us to follow Jesus. “Weightlifters” provides you with enough development materials for monthly laity training over the next year. Let us lean into intentional conditioning and be well!
Rev. Monique Crain Spells
Vice President for Mission, Advocacy, & Programs
WHAT’S INSIDE?
DHM is pleased to offer our 2024 resource for the Advent Season. Take time to sit with reflections from our thoughtful writers (Miseon Choi, David Clifford, James Semmelroth, Darnell Managerrie Winston), listen to a few songs, and say a prayer. Blessed Advent!
Join us in Charleston, South Carolina for our 2025 Black Ministers Retreat!
“You, Stand” is our theme and our retreat text is Exodus 33:7-22.
God instructs the leader to stand on the rock and God will cover them. We have planned a time of refreshment, learning, and remembrance. Come and enjoy!
“Yoga on the Beach” will be lead by Joselyn Spence, M.Div, LPC, ATR, CCTP, RYT. She is the Director of Mental Health and Wellness for the National Benevolent Association Of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 
From the Theological Manna series — Theopoetics: Black Women’s Poetic Writing as Spiritual Practice with Dr. Oluwatomisin Oredein
From the Theological Manna series — Prayer, Uncertainty, and Pastoral Care with Dr. Eunil David Cho
From the Theological Manna series — Membership Has Its Privileges: Systems and Equity in the Hebrew Bible with Rev. Kimberly D. Russaw
From the Theological Manna series — Killing Church Softly: Generational and Identity Formation with Dr. Jason Santos
From the Theological Manna series — Death, Dying, and Bereavement: A conversation featuring Dr. Jamie Eaddy and Dr. Dan Moseley; moderated by Rev. Monique Crain Spells
Theological Manna Conversation — Communal Faith Formation for Today
A Webinar featuring Dr. William Crowder, Dr. Young Lan Kim, Dr. Kimberly Johnson, Dr. Bill Kincaid, and Dr. Yara Gonzalez-Justiniano
From the Theological Manna series — An Intersectional Gospel: Faith that Moves Beyond Comfort. A Panel Discussion featuring Dr. Amy Lindeman Allen, Dr. Irie L. Session, Rev. Gabriel Lopez, and Rev. Scott Hardin-Nieri; moderated by Rev. Brian Frederick-Gray.
Join us as we participate in rich dialogue and intentional learning on Gender & Sexual Based Violence through the lens of Thursdays in Black!
Together, we’ll learn how to partner in Breaking the Chains of gender and sexual based violence through deconstructing biblical narratives, testimony in action, social media’s influence on youth and ways to engage in violence prevention and anti-trafficking work.
Breaking the Chains: Thursdays in Black Summit Resources:
https://www.ucc.org/what-we-do/wider-church-ministries/gsjm/breaking-the-chains/
The US National Human Trafficking Hotline is 1-888-373-7888 or you can visit: https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en
Breaking the Chains: Deconstructing the Narrative
Join us as we participate in rich dialogue and intentional learning on Gender & Sexual Based Violence through the lens of Thursdays in Black!
Together, we’ll learn how to partner in Breaking the Chains of gender and sexual based violence through deconstructing biblical narratives, testimony in action, social media’s influence on youth and ways to engage in violence prevention and anti-trafficking work.
Visit Breaking the Chains: Resources for Action for a full list of action items, resouces, and ways to engage!
November 20, 2024
1PM to 2:30PM ET
Day Two: Faith in Action
Join us as we participate in rich dialogue and intentional learning on Gender & Sexual Based Violence through the lens of Thursdays in Black!
Together, we’ll learn how to partner in Breaking the Chains of gender and sexual based violence through deconstructing biblical narratives, testimony in action, social media’s influence on youth and ways to engage in violence prevention and anti-trafficking work.
Event held on November 13, 2024
1PM to 2:30PM ET
Day 1: Deconstructing the Narrative
Join us as we participate in rich dialogue and intentional learning on Gender & Sexual Based Violence through the lens of Thursdays in Black!
Together, we’ll learn how to partner in Breaking the Chains of gender and sexual based violence through deconstructing biblical narratives, testimony in action, social media’s influence on youth and ways to engage in violence prevention and anti-trafficking work.
The work of Christian Education at Disciples Home Missions goes back many years. The same is true for the work of Merger Staff* responsible for this service to the church. Christian Education and Faith Formation are siblings in our walk with God, but not identical twins. Institutional practices like Sunday School, Vacation Bible Schools, liturgies, Bible studies, camp songs, corporate prayers, scripture recitation, and even predictable components of worship are all forms of Christian Education that many of us have come to know and value.
Faith Formation is the intentional development of authentic, relational, vulnerable, communing relationship with God and all God’s creation. Faith Formation is not transactional; it is transcendental. In times of both exceeding joy and deep crisis, our faith formation reveals itself. Often, our faith formation starts with an introduction to some form of Christian Education.
At DHM, we design resources and experiences for Christian Education and Faith Formation in your congregational, regional, and personal lives. It is our joy and responsibility to grow the capacity of learners and teachers in the Christian Church to strengthen one another spiritually and communally with Jesus as our guide.
Please help yourself to our many resources and be sure to share them with others.
Use the tools below to browse our resources and filter your results:
Under the Experience tab you will find Videos and Multimedia productions from/featuring Justice and Advocacy Ministries.
From the Theological Manna series — Communal Faith Formation for Today is a webinar recording featuring Dr. William Crowder, Dr. Young Lan Kim, Dr. Kimberly Johnson, Dr. Bill Kincaid, and Dr. Yara Gonzalez-Justiniano; moderated by Rev. Monique Crain Spells
Under the Engage tab you’ll find a full list of Upcoming and Past Events from Christian Education & Faith Formation.
Lent arrives early to us this year, but the leadership of Jesus is always on time.
Please enjoy and share reflections from Alan Dicken, Caroline Hamilton-Arnold, Fiyori Kidane, and Natasha Robinson. They have given prophetic encouragement for this time!
Celebrate Week of the Laity
This year’s Week of Laity will be celebrated January 14 – 20, 2024. Laity Sunday is a special time when the church pauses to consider lay leaders’ varied gifts for ministry to church and community.
Take some time to share the 2024 Week of Laity Resource “Care in Plain Sight” with your church, friends, and family. Rev. Dr. Milton Keys has given us beautiful reflections on how to be more intentional in our caring as Jesus cared, a call to action with partners is included, and an affirming litany is ready for your laity service!
Advent 2023 Resource!
Truly, this is a season of Advent. We need the hope, justice, comfort, and power of Jesus on earth.
Please take time to enjoy and share prayers, reflections, and music in “Unveiling the Divine,” our 2023 Advent Devotional.
In 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday, but it means more than a day off work.
As Disciples, we are learners. Take advantage of Juneteenth resources for your congregation. Wisdom makes us stronger and more loving like our God.
Just as seasons change, our pace ought not be fixed. We can miss the vastness of God’s glory when living in a hurry.
Spend time the next few months reflecting with our “Summer Encounters: A Journal of Holy Visitation.” Enjoy the inviting presence of our God!
We will celebrate with you the love and strength of laity across the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) January 15-21, 2023. Laity Sunday is a special time when the church pauses to consider lay leaders’ varied gifts for ministry to church and community.
As you start the new year, we hope you find this Week of Laity Resource inspiring and helpful. May you carry the gospel like Mary and rejoice in its holy manifestations, in this and all seasons!
Workshop Overview
• Welcome, Purpose, Confession, and Prayer
• Meditation by Howard Thurman
• Recognize and name our fatigue
• “The Real Reason Why We are Tired” video by Dr. Saundra
Dalton-Smith
• Assess our capacity and prioritize
• Tools and Practices
• Accountability
Vacation Bible Study Resource: Three Days, Three Ways
The Office of Christian Education has designed a three-day summer resource with Luis Gierbolini, Chesla Nickelson, Olivia Updegrove and Monique Crain Spells.
Taking inspiration from acclaimed book, The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones, “Forward Toward Freedom” offers historical accounts of black experiences in America alongside biblical stories that help illustrate consideration of the following themes: freedom of culture, freedom of body, freedom of mind. Each day in the curriculum offers activities to support learning.
You may engage all the lessons or just one at a time over the summer. Download and share “Forward Toward Freedom!”
